The Network Readiness Index (2019-2023)

A Theoretical and Critical Analysis

Abstract

The Network Readiness Index (NRI) measures how prepared economies are for the technological and social challenges of interconnection. It was presented by the World Forum for the first time in 2002, as part of a report on the global state of technology, but later it discontinued its production. Subsequently, Soumitra Dutta and Bruno Lanvin, two of the consultants in charge of the index, became independent and continued the development of the NRI with the support of companies and universities. Since 2019, the methodology considered more aspects than technological access, and focused on four pillars: Technology, Society, Impact and Governance, each with sub-pillars and indicators ranging from investment in technologies of the future, in R&D, to the inclusion and development of digital skills. The index presents the positions in these pillars of around 130 economies around the world, and each year it analyzes topics such as digital transformation, the pandemic crisis, trust in the network society, among others. In this article we analyze the progress of this index, the changes in its last five years (2019-2023), the countries that lead it, the possibilities and challenges to establish itself as a global index.